So update nearly over! I am writing these posts from Livingstone, Zambia where I will be based for the next 6 months. All will become clear....
I have been given a great opportunity to take a leave of absence from my post-doc to work for a medical charity called On Call Africa (www.oncallafrica.org.uk) . This charity will provide mobile medical clinics, health education and try to improve the links with government, district offices and the rural medical outposts that we will be working in. My role will be to provide a basic lab facility which will function by using rapid tests. Not having a huge understanding of these tests, diseases, conditions it’s going to be a huge learning curve. I will be updating the charity website so if you want to find out more about that then please check it out. A lot of these villages are extremely remote and are very limited with regards to resources. A village I visited yesterday (Mapatezia) is only a 6 hour drive from a bustling city with shops and restaurants but because the “road” is so poor and transport is non-existant, little can get in or out, including soap. This is important as we want to provide health education so this is where my chemistry knowledge comes in. Well, I should be more honest than that..my chemistry have-a-go attitude and contacts. Through the networking breakfast, I have been put in touch with two chemists, studying PhDs in St Andrews. They are also establishing their soap making company, Darcy & Lola.
Over the next few months I hope to be updating you with my science adventures, as I try, with the generous help of Su and Lisa from Darcy & Lola, develop a soap using as basic materials as I can. Experiment number one: can I make potassium hydroxide out of banana skins and what can I contain it in? Remember everything has to be recreated in the villages so nipping down to Maramba market to get a stainless steel pot is out. Have a good think, you have time as internet access is not so easy. Then let me know your suggestions!
I have been given a great opportunity to take a leave of absence from my post-doc to work for a medical charity called On Call Africa (www.oncallafrica.org.uk) . This charity will provide mobile medical clinics, health education and try to improve the links with government, district offices and the rural medical outposts that we will be working in. My role will be to provide a basic lab facility which will function by using rapid tests. Not having a huge understanding of these tests, diseases, conditions it’s going to be a huge learning curve. I will be updating the charity website so if you want to find out more about that then please check it out. A lot of these villages are extremely remote and are very limited with regards to resources. A village I visited yesterday (Mapatezia) is only a 6 hour drive from a bustling city with shops and restaurants but because the “road” is so poor and transport is non-existant, little can get in or out, including soap. This is important as we want to provide health education so this is where my chemistry knowledge comes in. Well, I should be more honest than that..my chemistry have-a-go attitude and contacts. Through the networking breakfast, I have been put in touch with two chemists, studying PhDs in St Andrews. They are also establishing their soap making company, Darcy & Lola.
Over the next few months I hope to be updating you with my science adventures, as I try, with the generous help of Su and Lisa from Darcy & Lola, develop a soap using as basic materials as I can. Experiment number one: can I make potassium hydroxide out of banana skins and what can I contain it in? Remember everything has to be recreated in the villages so nipping down to Maramba market to get a stainless steel pot is out. Have a good think, you have time as internet access is not so easy. Then let me know your suggestions!
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